UN calls for independent investigation into bombing of Iranian school

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc

March 5, 2026

HRRC calls for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and the U.S., on one side, and Iran, and an immediate, impartial and independent investigation by relevant authorities into the strike on a girl’s school in Iran. Civilians, especially women and girls, all too often bear the highest cost of conflict. The international community must use every means in its disposal to end the ongoing conflict, and to prioritize the life, wellbeing, and safety of civilians until a ceasefire is achieved. Perpetrators of war crimes and violators of international humanitarian law must be held accountable, no matter the country of origin.

Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. [Image credit: AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji]

The bombing of an Iranian girl’s school on Saturday, February 29 during Israel and the United States’ ongoing bombing campaign against Iran has drawn calls for an independent investigation in what is being called “a grave violation of humanitarian law.” 

The bombing, which occurred on the first day of the full-scale attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, killed at least 160 students and teachers, according to Iranian authorities. 

In response, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called for a “prompt, impartial ​and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the ⁠attack,” with the responsibility for doing so on the country that launched the strike. “The protection of civilians is paramount. Each and every actor involved must ensure compliance with these laws. Violations of them must lead to accountability for those responsible,” Turk said. 

The United States and Israel have not confirmed that they are behind the bombing, but have also not ruled out responsibility. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. “would not deliberately target a school,” and media have suggested that the intended target of the strike was a nearby Iranian military complex. A health clinic and other buildings near the school were also struck. While it is not currently known whether Israel or the U.S. conducted the strike, experts suggest the U.S. was more likely responsible. 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. was “investigating” the school bombing, but did not offer further details on the nature of the investigation. 

Other UN agencies, including UNESCO, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, have also raised alarm in the aftermath of the bombing. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called for an immediate ceasefire “so that children are no longer exposed to killing, maiming, displacement, psychological harm, or other violations of their rights.” The Independent Fact-Finding Mission – speaking to the bombing campaign that led to the strike on the school – said that “extrajudicial deprivations of life are not an acceptable means for delivering justice under international law,” specifically in reference to the U.S. and Israel’s aim to assassinate high-level Iranian political and military officials through air and missile strikes. 

Striking civilian targets is a violation of international humanitarian law, and intentionally doing so constitutes a war crime. The Israeli and U.S. campaign has already raised allegations that the two countries are engaging in a war of aggression, and that the assassination of Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei represents a violation of international law. Iran’s targeting of civilian infrastructure in Israel and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries, likely also constitutes a violation of international law. 

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Glossary 

• Allegations – claims, not yet proven true in a court of law. 

• Assassinate – to kill a person for political purposes

• Ceasefire – ending ongoing hostilities

• Civilian – a noncombatant in a conflict, often including women, children, the elderly, and others not actively engaged in fighting. 

• Compliance – following the terms of a law or agreement.

• Constitute – meet the criteria for. 

• Deprivation – taking away, forcibly. 

• Displacement – being forced unwillingly or by great necessity from one’s home. 

• Extrajudicial – an action occurring outside the bounds of the law. 

• Humanitarian law – international laws that protect civilians in wartime

• Impartial – taking place in a setting that does not favor either side in a dispute or conflict

• Infrastructure – buildings and other structures necessary for most daily life, such as water treatment plants, electricity and power supply, roads, and housing. 

• International law – laws agreed to by the majority of countries in the international system and commonly held to apply to all countries 

• Maiming – injury to a part of one’s body that reduces the ability to use that part. 

• Paramount – the highest priority. 

• Psychological harm - mental harm that can result from a particularly traumatic experience, such as war.  

• Violation – breaking the terms of an agreement or law

• UNESCO – the UN organization for education, culture, and science. 

• War crime – a violation of international law in reference to the terms of engagement in wartime. Violations include intentionally targeting civilians in wartime, the use of torture, and the use of weapons of mass destruction such as chemical weapons. 

• War of aggression – a war conducted with the intent to conquer, weaken, or destroy a country.